A storm is brewing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after aviation workers accused former Prime Minister Raila Odinga of quietly pushing for the revival of Adani Group’s shelved deal to manage and expand Kenya’s busiest airport.
The claims come just a day after Raila openly defended the Indian conglomerate, saying Kenya had missed a golden chance to modernise JKIA when the Adani project was rejected.
Speaking on Monday, September 22, the ODM leader insisted Adani had come with the intention of investing, not looting.
“When Adani came here and wanted to rehabilitate our airport, there was too much unnecessary noise in Parliament. They pulled out, yet they were ready to bring in their money. They were not taking anything away,” Raila remarked.
But the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary General, Moss Ndiema, fired back sharply, claiming Raila was being used as a test balloon to gauge public reaction to a possible fresh bid.
“When you hear Raila talking about Adani, he is testing the waters. He was one of the people who stood to benefit. That is why he is bitter,” Ndiema alleged. “We respect him, but on this matter he has failed the workers.”
Ndiema further challenged Raila to make Adani’s original proposal public, arguing that Kenyans deserved to see what was on the table.
He also disputed Raila’s narrative that Adani was bringing investments, claiming instead that the group planned to use JKIA as collateral to secure loans.
“They were not coming here to invest a cent. They wanted to mortgage JKIA to borrow money. If borrowing was the plan, the Kenya Airports Authority could have done it directly without involving a foreign middleman,” Ndiema argued.
The Adani deal had already faced fierce resistance before President William Ruto ordered its termination in November 2024.
In his State of the Nation address, Ruto instructed Transport CS Davis Chirchir and Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi to cancel the agreements, citing corruption concerns and lack of transparency in the process.
Now, with Raila’s surprising defence of Adani, whispers of a comeback attempt are spreading, leaving many wondering: is the controversial project being quietly revived behind the scenes?
